It Takes A Thief
by Da Sluggo
Summary: A night through the eyes of a petty thief we all know and love. It's a drabble, and thus very short and straight to the point. You've been warned.


_**Okay people. This is my first ever finished TT fan fiction. It's short, and straight to the point. You don't like it, be creative and tell me in elouquent terms why. I'm always willing to listen to suggestions that could help me in the long run.**_

_**And now without further adu...my humble drabble of a fan fic.**_

Jump City. Big small town, really, when you think about it. It has a big enough population to be christened a city, yet it's small enough where you are more than likely to bump into people you know.

Or in my case, have them drop in on you while you're trying to make ends meat.

Before I continue with my narration, reader, let me tell you something. I am a thief, not a villain. I am not out to destroy the galaxy, kill off all the superheroes, or even to cause minimal chaos here in this city.

I just steal to make a living and to keep my suit running smoothly.

I thought I had made that point more than clear in the past to the leader of the group in front of me, but either Robin the Boy Wonder had forgotten or just didn't particularly care.

More than likely, the latter.

We were in a small, dingy and very cramped warehouse by the south-side docks. It normally housed goods that had just come in overseas. Foods, clothing, music. If I hadn't been there for something all that important, I would've be digging around for that new Nightwish album, and maybe some oriental food I could stash away for a rainy day.

But right now, in this warehouse, was something that I desperately needed. A case of Xenothium, the rare (and volatile) chemical that powers the suit I wear.

I faced the Teen Titans, swiftly assessing them. They were all there. Cyborg, the dark-skinned android with a built-in sonic cannon for a left arm. Beast Boy, the green kid that changes into any animal he wants. Raven, the dark mannered purple-haired sorceress with her shadow-like powers. Starfire, the red-haired alien girl that was a lot stronger than she looked and could, like the mystic, fly.

And then, their fearless leader, Robin.

He, in my humble opinion, was the most dangerous in the whole group. Not because of his powers (this kid doesn't even _have_ any powers) but because he was just like me - only human. He had more determination than anyone else in that group, and if I wasn't a careful little thief, it would be my undoing.

Nobody moved. They stared at me, while I gaped silently back.

I had hoped and counted on the fact that the Titans would be too busy tonight with some little charity event for all the blind kids in Jump City that had been advertised for the past few weeks.

_Guess they got off early,_ I mused. _Though I still don't know how they knew I was coming here of all places..._

"Give it up, X. There's no way for you to escape," Robin said coldly, his voice holding immense confidence. He brought out his bo-staff and twirled it in front of him, illustrating his point.

"The charity was a ruse, wasn't it?" I asked. It would make sense, but all that just to capture me? That's what didn't click in my mind at all. I was just a thief, not a big time crook or murderer like Slade or any of those other nincompoops in this city.

Heck, if this were Gotham, I would be virtually _invisible_. Batsy had bigger problems to worry about and take care of besides pickpockets and low life thieves like myself.

Which is possibly why his gung ho sidekick was so...gung ho. Good ol' Bats probably took care of the bigger knuckle heads while Jr. would take on some easy street scum.

I don't think I need to tell you that I am anything _but_ street scum. Especially easy street scum.

"Wasn't it?" I reiterated, growing more furious at myself by the moment. Even though they had had the upper hand, I should have still made sure I had an easy escape route out of there in case I _was_ busted.

Unfortunately, the easiest way out was by teleporting with my suit (which I could not afford to use with my core chemical so low) or...through the Teen Titans.

Ah, life is so chock full of interesting choices, is it not?

Cyborg now spoke, while leveling his powered up sonic cannon in a level bulls-eye with my chest.

"It wasn't all a ruse X. There was a charity, and we did attend it."

"But you kids decided to play hooky the rest of the event so you could come out and play with little old' me." I theatrically placed my hand over where my heart was.

"I'm touched kids. I really am. But, I need to get back to business here, so if you'll excuse me..."

I started to back away from them, reaching out and grabbing the case of Xenothium as I went and tucking it inside a container on my belt.

"I don't think so," Raven droned, lifting a dainty hand in front of her towards me. I almost stumbled to the ground. Looking down, I saw that she had encased my feet in her dark energy. I gingerly tested the ebony holds, but my feet wouldn't move.

"Cuff him." Robin said, retracting his staff and visibly relaxing. Cyborg gave him a slight nod before shuffling forward with a pair of handcuffs.

Just when he was within an arms-length, I struck.

Instead of waiting for him, my arm shot out and shoved at his immense metal chest.

Normally, this would have been futile and probably result in him laughing at me, knocking the stuffing out of me, then cuffing me.

However, you'd go flying too if someone's shove had a colossal electrical charge behind it.

Right on target, Cyborg was thrown back into Raven, breaking her mental hold on my feet. I immediately leaped towards the rest of the Titans.

"TITANS! GET HIM!"

My path was abruptly blocked by a large green Grizzly Bear. Beast Boy roared, taking a swipe at me. I ducked, dropping to the floor. I grabbed the brute by the legs, and propelled myself underneath him. I slid a few feet, and leapt back to my feet in a handspring.

I was then slammed in the back by something, and literally _flew_ a few more feet before crashing in a box of American made CD's.

Although I loathed his music with a passion, I grudgingly let the towers of Eminem's music bury me. This allowed me a few seconds for a quick breather, and to see who had attacked me.

It was the alien, Starfire. Her hands were smoking and she was looking curiously towards where I peeped out at her. I tensed, my mind switching to overdrive to come up with a solution to my present problem.

Raven and Cyborg had disentangled themselves from each other, and Beast Boy had joined Starfire and Robin nearby. They all joined together, staring down where I lay hidden.

"You think the dude's down?" Beast Boy finally asked, shattering the solemn silence.

Robin cocked his head, and the eyes behind his mask narrowed.

"He could be playing possum. Let's make sure..._carefully._"

_Time for me to high tail it,_ I thought. But Hell's Bells, HOW!

The Titans stalked closer and closer. Soon, I could only see from their torsos down.

Closer...closer...closer...

I could see Raven's blue boots now...

Closer..._closer_...

I could now count how many wires were going through Cyborg's foot...

_Closer_..._closer_...even **closer**...

I saw Starfire's boots land with a soft _ff-thump_ right in front of my view.

_**CLOSER...CLOSER...STOPPED**._

When they stilled, my brain finally came up with an idea.

Not pausing to even remotely consider the possible consequences, I grabbed some loose CD's. I jumped up right in front of the Titans, and flung each disk like a Frisbee.

_Zzzinggg! Zzing! Zzing! Zzzzinnnggg!_

The Titans ducked my impromptu projectiles, but they had served my purpose.

_Pffff-zzziitttt!_

The only lights in the entire warehouse showered glass as the disks broke the bulbs. The entire building was plunged into darkness. A few satisfying sounds of people falling and some even cursing reached my ears.

"Ack! Who stepped on my foot!"

"I am truly sorry Robin. You are unharmed?"

"Dudes! What happened? Who turned of the light swit-"

"Someone's claws are on my grebnaks!"

"Oops. Heheh, sorry Star."

"Cyborg, give us some light before those three kill themselves."

"I hear ya dark girl."

A small flashlight popped out of Cyborg's shoulder and shown where I was.

Or rather, where I had been a few seconds previous.

Nearly all of the Titans eyes widened at my seeming disappearing act into thin air.

All, except Raven.

"AZERATH METRION ZINTHOS!"

A box full of food was sent flying towards where I had hid in the shadows. I cursed quietly as I ducked and desperately tried to stay outside the pool of light.

Within a few moments, however, I had no choice. I was tiring, it was almost morning, and I needed to get out of there before the Titans called back up.

"TITANS! GE-"

I cut the Boy Wonder off by tossing a few smoke pellets at the group, followed by a large red net to contain them. I was pleased to hear yells and shrieks as the net hit home.

When the smoke had finally cleared, I was long gone. Or at least, I appeared to be.

I watched the Titans struggle out of the net at last, and clear their lungs of the smoke. From my vantage-point in the air duct, I could see and would be able to hear them without being noticed.

"RRAAUUGGGHH!" Surprise surprise. Boy Wonder was throwing a little fit at not getting the job done.

"I can't believe he got away _again_!"

"Dude, we were getting our bums handed to us. I'm glad he left!" Beast Boy had snaked his way out of the net and was now helping Cyborg out.

"I dunno BB," Cyborg said, brushing himself off. "Seems to me that Red X was having just as hard a time as we were with him."

"This is true." Starfire flung the rest of the net off of the remaining Titans and stood. "We have not caught the Red X, but we have come through this battle unscathed."

"But he still got away, and we still don't know anything about him!" Robin almost howled.

I decided that I had heard enough. They still had not found out anything about me, which was excellent.

As I was crawling through the vent ducts towards the outside, I could have sworn I heard Raven mumble something...

"Yes we do. He know he has excellent taste in music..."


End file.
